The story of my unexpected fostering of a litter of four neonatal kittens.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Gaining Weight!

The kittens are continuing to gain weight. Wahoo! It's a slow process, especially since I am overly sensitive to it and want to weigh them and check in on them all the time, but they are getting there.

Since I first posted about their weights a week ago Monday, they have all gained 3 to 4oz each! Magnus is the big guy (always has been!) who is weighing in at 7oz, while the other three babies are each coming in at 6oz each.

The website I've been referring to, lists the following information on how to determine age of a kitten, and their appropriate weights. I have highlighted in red all of the items I have observed in one, or multiple kittent thus far:

- Under one week: (3-8 oz) Eyes are shut, ears are folded down, and kittens are unable to walk. They can purr and make tiny noises. The umbilical cord may still be visible.

- One-two weeks: (8-11 oz) Eyes start to open (they are blue) and focus. Ears begin to open and movement is improved to crawling, snuggling, and kneading.

- Three weeks: (7.5-14.5 oz) Eyes fully open and ears are open and standing up. The kitten will start to respond to noises and movement. The first wobbly steps are taken and baby teeth start to come in.

- Four-five weeks: (8-16.75 oz) Running, playing, digging, and pouncing occur often. Kittens will start to wean and will be able to lap up formula, eat soft food, and use the litter box by themselves. Eyes have fully changed from blue to their adult color.

- Eight weeks: (2 lbs) Kittens look like little versions of full grown cats. This is the best age at which to begin the socialization process.

In the four-five week category, I have started to see beginnings of playing, wrestling, etc. I have also noticed several of the kittens using their tongues to lick, lap and clean themselves from time to time.

If you look at the weights listed for each category, they are a little confusing to me. According to the chart the kittens are quickly approaching the low end of the three-four-five week ranges. I can only assume this is good news!

Feeding is going really well. I've switched from a syringe to a kitten bottle (yes, they make such things!) and not only is it easier for me, but less messy for them. They got the hang of the bottle really quickly. I've upped the food to the amount listed on the formula container for their weight range - but they still seem ravenous all the time! I think I will increase a little more still over the next few days.

And you know what? I can't believe how much I have thought and worried about kitten poop over the past few weeks! Gross, yes, but necessary. In case you're wondering - pooping is going very well. Nice work, kitties!

More pictures and videos coming soon - thanks for checking in on the kittens!